Bulletin board



April A 1936. E. s. HARTMAN 2,036,938

BULLETIN BOARD MINUTES HOME TEAM sooRE 57 I YARD5 I I TO @0 I PENALTIES PENALTIES K59 E 42 62 ff YARD5 YARDS April 7, 1936. E. s. HARTMAN 2,036,938

BULLETIN BOARD Filed April 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3O 4O 50 4O 30 20 1O 5 wil ill)

Patented Apr. 7!, 1936 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE BULLETIN BOARD Elmer S. Hartman, Mountville, Pa. Application April 11, 1935, Serial No. 15,888 8 Claims. (Cl. 116-120) The present invention relates to a foot ball bulletin board.

More particularly, the invention relates to a bulletin board for foot ball games, by the use of which there may be displayed the plays and movements of a game in such manner that they may be readily discerned by a large number of persons in the vicinity of the board. By the use thereof games locally played or games which are being played at a distance can be depicted play by play, for the edification and amusement of those who are interested in the progress and outcome of the game.

The bulletin board forming the subject-matter of the present application is well adapted for use on the field for more clearly indicating the progress of a game than is usually possible by directly watching the players. The board is equally well adapted for use at a distance from a game being played for clearly and accurately indicating the progress of the game as it is reported by telegraph, telephone or radio announcements.

It is highly desirable, particularly when the board is used to indicate the progress of a game being played at a distance, that the various data and indicating devices thereon be so arranged that the exact status of the game can readily be ascertained from a glimpse at the board, for the reason that bulletin boards used in different sports are not only viewed by those who linger to watch the progress of the game for a considerable period of time but by many others equally well interested in the game and whose time will permit only a glimpse at the.

board as they chance to pass by.

Bulletin boards for indicating the progress of foot ball games heretofore proposed or used while furnishing suflicieni; data to convey the progress of a game were more or less complicated and presented such an arrangement of the data that considerable time was required to ascertain the real status of the game, and accordingly were of little value to those chancing to pass by and eager to learn the progress of the game.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a bulletin board having different indicating devices thereon which are so arranged that the exact status of a game can readily be ascertained upon a glimpse at the board.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bulletin board including indicating devices which are so disposed that the data common to both teams is separated from the data relating to the respective contesting teams that the status of the game at any stage in the progress thereof is readily ascertainable.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bulletin board for foot ball games which comprises various indicating devices which are of relatively simple construction and which are readily adapted for expeditious change whereby the indications on the board will be current with the progress of the game.

The above mentioned objects of my invention,

together with others inherent in the game, are attained by the construction illustrated in the drawings which illustrate only a preferred ex-- emplary form of embodiment of my invention and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the board.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side edge view of the board.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 in Fig. 2 showing the door or hinged panel in open position.

Fig. '7 is a section on the line 1-1 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the device and in which similar parts are designated by like reference characters,

the numeral In designates a board which may be of any desired material and of appropriate dimensions and which may be provided with a suitable base, if desired.

At the top of the board is represented a grid or foot ball field H, on which is marked a series of vertical parallel lines opposite which are the numbers 5, 10--50, for indicating the distance of the respective lines from the opposite goals indicated at l2.

The board is provided with a horizontally disposed slot l3 which extends throughout the object l5, preferably in the form of a foot ball,

and which is adapted to be moved along the slot I 3 and relatively to the yard lines to visually indicate the position of the ball on the grid in the game being played.

The support or follower I4 is provided on the opposite or rear side of the board with a suitable handle or manipulating member I6 'by which the operator is readily enabled to move the ball I5 along the grid which, as shown in Fig. 2, is also represented on the rear side 0! the board at ll,

and to enable the operator to properly position the ball [5 with respect to the yard lines.

A suitable pointer I1 is connected with the follower I4 for movement along the grid representation on the rear side or face of the board in conformity with the movement of ball l5 along the grid representation on the front face of the board.

Located below the grid and substantially midway of the width of the board is an arcuate series of numbers from I to l5, and. pivoted to the board is a hand or index member l8 to which is secured for movement therewith a similar hand or index member I8 on the opposite or rear face of the board, having associated therewith a like series of numbers, which numbers are used to indicate the minutes in any given quarter of the play, the hand l8 being moved by the operator as the game progresses, resulting in alike movement of hand I 8 for clearly indicating the number of minutes played in any given quarter.

Suitably located in the board immediately below the hands or index members I8, 18' is a window H! which affords vision to the operator for watching the progress of a game when the board is used on the grid.

Immediately below the window IS, the board is provided with a suitable bearing 2i (Fig. 5) in which is journaled a shaft 22 to which is suitably secured at the front face of the board a disk member 23 having a sector-shaped portion thereof removed as indicated at 24.

slidably disposed on shaft 22 and mounted for rotation therewith at the rear face of the board is a hand or index member 25. The shaft has secured to the rear end thereof a suitable operating knob 26, and disposed on the shaft 22 and between the hand 25 and knob 26 is a coil spring 21 which functions to urge the disk member 23 and hand 25 toward the opposite faces of the board, thus providing a frictional mounting for preventing accidental movement of the disk member from any position to which it has been adjusted by the operator through movement of the knob 26. The board is provided with the numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the front face thereof, and which are located behind the disk member 23 in such manner that any one thereof is visible through the sector-shaped opening in the disk member, for indicating to the spectators the particular quarter in the play. The board is provided with like numerals on the rear face thereof as is indicated in Fig. 2 to aid the operator in moving the disk member to the proper position by moving the hand 25 to the corresponding numeral on the rear face of the board.

On the front face of the board below the grid l l and on opposite sides of the minute indicator are suitable designations for the players, such as Home team and Visiting team, and the board is provided with novel indicating devices for each team adjacent opposite edges of the board in such manner that any possible confusion in reading the board is obviated.

The devices for indicating the various data for the opposing teams are alike and accordingly are represented by like reference characters. The indicators for each team comprise a score indicator 28 which is preferably in the form of a door or hinged panel as is clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 6, and is adapted for swinging movement into and out of an opening 29 in board 10, the opening preferably having a sloping or beveled upper wall as indicated at 30 in Fig. 6

aoaaess for providing greater space above the door 28 when swung open to facilitate changing of the data on the indicator. The door 28 is provided with a suitable operating knob 3|.

Disposed immediately below each of the score indicators is a device for indicating the number of "Downs" for the respective team, which device comprises a disk member 33 provided with a sector-shaped out-out 34 for exposing any one of the numerals 1 to 4 on the face of the board behind the disk member 33 to clearly indicate the number of Downs" for the respective teams. The Downs indicators are each of the same construction as the Quarter indicating device above described, and accordingly each comprises a suitable operating knob 35 at the rear face of the board as well as an index member 38 for movement to positions opposite a like series of numerals on the rear face of the board, a suitable spring similar to spring 21 being used to maintain the disk member 33 in set positions.

Disposed below each of the Downs indicators is a Yards to go indicator which is similar in construction to the score indicator in that it comprises a hinged panel 31 provided with an operating knob 38.

Disposed below each of the last described indicators is a Penalties indicator and which comprises a hinged panel 39 provided with an operating knob 40 and on which panel is adapted to be displayed the number of yards penalty, while adjacent the Yards indicating device 39 is a device for indicating the character of the penalty as Off side, etc., and which preferabiy comprises a roller 4| disposed within an elon gated opening 42 in the board and on which roller is suitably marked or adapted to be marked or represented the appropriate data pertaining to penalties.

The roller is suitably journaled in a bracket member 43 at each end thereof, and suitably secured to one of the bracket members is an angle member 44 in which as well as the bracket member is slidably disposed a pin 45 whose inner end is yieldably urged by means of a spring 46 into engagement with any one of a plurality of shallow recesses in the corresponding end of the roller for holding the roller against accidental movement when it has been adjusted to any given position.

If desired, the roller may be provided with suitable manipulating means for facilitating the rotation thereof.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a bulletin board is provided which well satisfies the requirements of devices of this character and which embodies simply constructed, readily changeable and well arranged indicating devices.

While I have indicated a handle 16 for effecting movement of the ball l5 along the grid 53, suitable means may be provided for effecting such movement by means of a magnet.

The various indicators are clearly designated on the board by means of permanent lettering and the Yardage, Minutes, Quarter and Downs" indicators require no changing of data but merely a movement of the respective in dicators to the required position with respect to permanent data on the board.

While in the Score, Yards to go" and Penalties indicators the data mustbeehanged as the game progresses, the swingably mounted panels 28, 31 and 39, respectively, provide for an expeditious change in the data, each of which panels may be provided with suitable means for detachably holding replaceable printed cards or the surfaces of such panels may be of a character whereby the ,data, maybe directly ind?- cated thereon by suitable crayon.

While I have disclosed in detail a specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I am not limited to the specific details disclosed but may make such changes or alterations as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A bulletin for indicating the progress of a ball game comprising a board, a field of play designated on the board, an indicator movable along the field of play for indicating the position of the ball on the field on which the game is being played, an indicator for designating any one of a number of fixed periods in the game, an indicator for designating the time in any period of the game, and a plurality of indicators adjacent opposite sides of the board for indicating various conditions of play relative to the respective opposing teams.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the board is provided with a window between the two second mentioned indicators.

3. A foot ball bulletin comprising a board, a foot ball field designated on the front face of the board, a similar designation on the rear face of the board, a slot in the board lengthwise of the foot ball field, a follower movably disposed in said slot, means carried by said follower at the front face of the board for indicating the position of the ball on the field in a game being played,.a manipulating handle carried by said follower at the rear face of the board, and a pointer carried by said follower at the rear face of the board for movement over the corresponding foot ball field designa tion directly opposite the indicating means at the front face of the board.

4. In a ball game bulletin, a board, an indicator on the board, said indicator comprising a plurality of numerals on the front face of the board, a shaft extending through said board and rotatably mounted therein, a member secured to said shaft adjacent said numerals for normally concealing the, same, a cut-out in said member for selectively exposing any one of the numerals upon rotation of said member, a plurality of numerals on the opposite face of the board corresponding to those on the front face of the board, and an index member secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, said index member and said cut-out being directly opposite each other.

5. The construction defined in claim 4 in which an operating knob is secured to the opposite end of said shaft, and a spring disposed between said index member and said operating knob for yieldably urging said member and said index member toward opposite sides of the board for frictionally maintaining said member in any set position.

6. In a ball game bulletin, a board, an indicator on the board, said indicator comprising a member rotatably mounted in an opening in the board and having suitable designations thereon, brackets adjacent opposite ends of said opening in which said member is journaled, an angle member supported by one of said brackets, a pin slidably disposed in said angle member and the bracket supporting same, a plurality of recesses in the end of said member adjacent said pin, and a springfor urging one end of said pin into yieldable contact with the corresponding end of said member whereby said member is maintained in any one of a number of set positions upon said pin entering the corresponding recesses.

7. A bulletin for indicating the progress of a ball game comprising a board, a field 'of play designated on the board adjacent the top thereof, a plurality of indicating devices below said field of play, each of said devices comprising a hinged panel, a plurality of indicating devices adjacent the bottom of the board, each of said last devices comprising a roller journaled in an opening in the board, and a plurality of indicating devices intermediate said first and said last devices, the last mentioned indicating devices each comprising a member mounted in the board for rotation parallel therewith.

8. In a foot ball bulletin, a board, a field of play-designation adjacent the top of the board,

indicators below said field of play-designation and centrally of the board, said indicators comprising separate adjustable means for designating periods and time intervals in each period in the game being played, and a plurality of indicators for each of two opposing teams adjacent the opposite edges of the board, said last indicators comprising separate adjustable means for indicating the Score, Downs, and Penalties, respectively, for each of the opposing teams.

ELMER S. HARTMAN. 

